Seal unit for flush valve actuators



May 2, 1950 Filed July 26, 1946 FIE-l J. a. DELANY SEAL UNIT FOR FLUSH VALVE ACTUATORS 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Jam! 1 .DElA/VY May 2, 1950 J. J. DELANY I SEAL UNIT FOR FLUSH VALVE ACTUATORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 26, 1946 m ZI N Patented May 2, 1950 LSEAQLTUNLIIQB FLUSH YA Y AQTUAIOES John J. Delany, 'sBtooklyn, N. "TY :assignor rto jDelanvijhiealt :eerrerat ean plic tion-aunts, 194e, Serial'No. 686,575

(01. ass-e29.)

.Glaimsi1 This invention relates+to-valves and -while not 'lim-itedthereto the same-has particular-reference to an-improved construction for'sealing the actuator-memberef a flush valve-and tor-maintaining the same in tensioned engagement against the inner end o f2the operating handle.

The invention comprehends a-resilient unita'lo- .cated in the handle cap of the fl-ushvalve ins-ur- -roundingrelation with-the shank of the-actuator member and which is axially and radially -contractible and :expansible to permit of inward movement of the actuator-member upon manipulation of thehandle'while"tensioning-the same to effect outward movement thereof upon release of the handle.

The invention further-has for 'an'ob jecta flexible elastic unit'which'istensionedyatits opposite ends against the end of the actuator mem beer :and the *apertured wall of the valve hotly thr ugh which t e ree end lf he s ank t re f pro rud s and whiehisdeio ma l in erm dia e its end hereby thesame is axiallyean r diaily eontraetib and ext ns bl f r w a ingthe ha die cap and ,for tensioh nethe a tuator me er so as to effe t the r turn hereof upenrel as otehandle Anoth obj eat .9; the inve ti n is the provision f a x bl e a ic unit of said she M havin a metalinsert embeddedin flan e'deend thereof for preventing canting or distortion thereof and. maintaining the. shank. .of the. actuator member in centralized relation.

With the foregoing and pl h r objects in View, reference is now made tothe. following specificar .tion and accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiments of the inventionare illus- .trated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of -aflush valve constructed in accordancewith the. invention-Land with ya portion thereof shown .:in vertical section. a

Fig. ,2 is an enlarged sectional View of the elastic unit in position on the actuator member.

Fig. 3 is a similar view .showing the elastic .nn tin eontractedrelat n- Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view-takenanproxie mately onl he l.4.ofj1ig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectionalview of a flush valve provided with waimodified form iQf elastic unit embodying the. invention.

Fig. 6 is .an enlarged sectional view \of the elastic unit inposition on the actuatorqmember.

Referring to the drawings "by characters "of reference, the invention is -illustrated initsapplication to: a flush-valve indicated generally by -t'he reference character A1ande-whiehfls of the type provided with an operating handle ID projecting laterally outward from the "handle cap :H with the enlarged inner end of the handle located within the cap and abutting against an actuator member II.

The actuator member I2 is formed with an enlarged head lfii 'having parallel opposite faces arranged with .the outer face l4 disposed flatly against-the inner-face of the enlarged inner end of the operating handle it] and inwardly of said head the actuatormember includes a shank 15 which protrudes inwardly through an aperture it in the wall of the valve body with the inner end of the shank located adjacent the lower end .of the valve stem I! for tilting the same to thereby effect opening movement of the valve upon actuationof the manipulating handle l9.

enlarged inner end of the manipulating handle t0, the present. invention provides a resilient unit Brfashioned of flexible resilient material such as natural or synthetic rubber and which is of hollow :formation...and is located .within the handle cap 1' insurroundingrelation with the shank I 5 and respectivelytensioned-at its ends against vthe enlarged head 'IBthereof and the wall of thevalve body. s-urroundingthe aperture l 6.

.The;.res ilient..unit Bis preferably of frustocohiaal Shane-in; longitudinal sectional. formation .witha peripheral flange l8 atthe inner enlarged r pendrthereof. Ihereduced outer endof theunit is nr v d d :With .a restricted bore port n 1:9 avhiclrppensthrough theouter end thereof and inwardly of said boreportion the inner face ,of ,the peripheralwalkthereof ,I'lares outwardly to .p e -ideanannular recess :3 su ounding t shank l-5 o f--the.actnator member-with the restric d-be epo tion snugly e ga in a u .theouter endotthe shank adjacent the enlarged head i3 thereof. A flanged metallic sleeve 2| is embedded in the flanged end 58 of the unit with the tubular portion of the sleeve slidably disposed on the shank ill-and withthe flange .22 thereof extending radially outward therefrom and protruding .at nuadra-ntly spaced points 2-3 thr u h the p r. phera d e 0f th flan d end pi, the nnit.forengagementagainst the, inner face at thener nheral wall .o the h ndle can i I i ihi seh truetion pr ov des reduced thi kn s h the .u it ae exima ely-.ene=thirc1 vthe f th uni -from he inner-end ther of W e the iflanged end "L80: the unit is re.- treet 1e and e2i, ...n e a ia ly .ef the-shank L5 Qfthel etuatormemb and th periph ral wall er he unit ennnlarly a out the recess 2-55 is I 'ernan ible an e ntracltible radially thereof which takes place with the axial movement of the flanged end ,as illustrated in Fig. 3 ,of the drawings.

Whe t e manipulatingth ndle I19 isv a tuated to open the valve, the enlarged inner end of the handle is canted to thereby force the actuator I2 inwardly and increase the tension on the unit B which is axiall contracted and radially expanded adjacent the flanged end 58 thereof. Upon release of the handle member In the ex pansive action of the unit B functions to force the actuator member l2 outwardly to its normal position against the enlarged inner end of the handle member ill with the unit B disposed in its normal position tensioned against the outer end of the actuator member l2 and the wall of the valve body surrounding the aperture 16.

The flanged end it of the unit engaging at all times against the wall of the body surrounding the aperture 16 seals the said aperture and prevents the passage of liquid from the valve body into thehandle cap H which is threadedly secured at its inner end in the interiorly threaded boss 2 of the valve casing. The restricted bore portion 59 of the unit snugly engaging about the shank is of the actuator member 12 functions to seal the outer end of the unit and thereby prevent leakage of the fluid therethrcugh, While the flanged sleeve 21 retains the flanged end it centrally within the handle cap ll so to prevent canting or distortion of the flanged end i8 and to maintain the shank it in centralized relation.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the unit designated generally by the reference character C is similarly fashioned from flexible resilient material such as natural. or synthetic rubber or the like and the same consists of a tubular body having flanged ends 25 and 2G and an intermediate reduced portion 21 provided with a peripheral wall of longitudinal and outwardly bowed formation in cross-sectional configuration. The unit C is adapted to be, arranged on the shank 15 of the actuator memb er i2 of the flush valve A similar to the unit B in the previous form of the invention. The unit is similarly formed with a restricted bore portion 28 which snugly engages the shank 15 adjacent the enlarged end 13 thereof and inwardly from the said restricted portion 28 the inner face of the peripheral wall 27 is of concave formation to provide an annular space 29 surrounding the shank 15 while the inner end of the unit is provided with a metallic sleeve 50 which surrounds the shank 15 for longitudinal reciprocatory sliding movement of the shank l therethrough. The intermediate portion 2! of the unit C is radially expansible and contractable coincident with the axial expansion and contraction of the unit as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the bowed wall of the said intermediate portion being expanded farther outwardly with the axial contraction of the unit.

In order to tension the unit for axial or longi tudinal expansion and contraction in addition to the inherent axial and longitudinal expansion and contraction thereof due to the resilient nature of the material thereof, a coiled expansion spring 3i is provided which is arranged between the flanged ends 25 and 25 and in surrounding spaced relation with the reduced portion 21 thereof with the opposite ends of the spring in engagement with metallic disks 32 disposed flatly against the inner faces of the flanged ends 25 and 26.

The resilient unit C functions to normally tension the actuator member 12 so as to maintain the enlarged end 13 thereof flatly against the enlarged inner end of the manipulating handle I0 and with the inner end thereof sealing the aperture It in the wall of the valve body.

When the manipulating handle I0 is actuated to open the flush valve, the unit is axially compressed as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings and upon release of the handle the same returns to the normal tensioned position illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

What is claimed is:

1. A sealing unit for flush valve actuator members consisting of a resilient body having a peripheral wall provided with parallel opposite end faces, said peripheral wall defining a passageway through said body adapted for receiving the shank of an actuator member therein with the medial portion of said passagewaybeing of relatively larger cross-sectional area than the opposite end portions to provide a cavity medially of the length of said body surrounding the shank of the actuator member and with the axial outer end portion of said peripheral wall snugly fitting the outer end of the shank of the actuator member to form a seal therefor, said peripheral wall having a medial portion of reduced thickness to permit of the radial expansion and contraction of said medial portion with outward and inward reciprocatory movement of the inner end portion of said resilient body on the shank of said actuator, and a metallic sleeve fitted in the passageway in the axial inner end portion of said resilient body through which the inner end of the shank of the actuator member is slidable.

2. A sealing unit for flush valve actuator members consisting of a resilient body having a pcripheral wall formed with flanged opposite ends having parallel opposite end faces, said peripheral wall defining a passageway through said body with the intermediate portion thereof being of relatively larger cross-sectional area than the outer end portions and adapted for receiving an actuator member therein with the outer end thereof snugly engaging in the flanged outer end portion of the passageway and the enlarged portion thereof forming a cavity surrounding the actuator member, said peripheral wall having a medial portion of reduced thickness to permit of radial expansion and contraction of said medial portion with outward and inward reciprocatory movement of the flanged inner end portion of said resilient body on said actuator, a coiled ex-- pansion spring disposed in surrounding relation with said resilient body between the flanges thereof and tensioned against said flanges for normally maintaining the flanged inner end thereof against inward movement, and a tubular metallic sleeve fitted in the passageway of the flanged inner end portion of said resilient body through which the inner end of the actuator member is slidable for retaining the actuator member in axial alignment in the assageway.

JOHN J. DELANY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

